A known method of this type (EP 0 849 106 B1) takes as its starting point an annular seal, which is placed on the placing and pressing elements of a tensioning plate. This tensioning plate is used to guide the seal onto the closure of the opening, for example a motor vehicle door, which seal is supported by a mount. Between the mount and the tensioning plate there are reference points, which ensure that the seal is guided and applied in a precisely fitting manner. This type of applying a seal to a motor vehicle door has been used in practice for a long time. The complex placing of the annular seal on the placing and pressing elements, which is done by hand, is however considered disadvantageous. This also leads to increased production costs such as the manufacture of a completely closed sealing ring in a separate operation before placing on the tensioning plate.
In addition, there are purely mechanical methods, in which the seal is cut to length from a seal strip by means of a roll-on head and applied to the closure of the opening in one operation. However, problems with regard to process reliability can occur with this method.
In a known method and a known device (DE 101 38 781 A1), one or a plurality of guiding means can be provided for the seal profile, which guiding means are provided between the point at which it is pulled off from a supply roll and the point at which it is brought into contact with the application location on the component. The guiding means are preferably configured as driven guide rollers. In this method and this device, the seal profile can therefore move more or less freely between the guiding means and the pressing roller, and therefore also the application location, but experience shows that exact positioning of the seal profile at the application location is not guaranteed in this manner.
In another known method and another known device (WO 03/091055 A1), guiding means in the form of driven rollers are also arranged upstream of the pressing roller at the application location. In addition, the pressing face of the pressing roller is profiled, in particular grooved, in order to receive a web, which is arranged on the back of the seal profile. Although there is an additional guide at the application location, the use of such a device is limited to seal profiles with a corresponding profile geometry, in particular with webs arranged on the back.
Finally, a method for applying a circumferential seal to the closure of an opening, in particular to a sun roof of a motor vehicle, is known (DE 197 04 327 C1), in which a self-adhesive continuous seal strip is cut to length from a supply roll by means of an application device and adhesively bonded directly to the closure of the opening by means of a roll-on roller of the application device. The application device is arranged such that it can be displaced along the closure of the opening on a frame, which corresponds to the profile of the closure of the opening, with it being possible to control the height and direction of the roll-on roller. The constructive effort of the application device to be expended for this is great.